Feeling the Love

The texts of the Roman Catholic Lectionary use the Gospel of Matthew to introduce the beginning of Jesus public ministry. The model for Christian ministry is Jesus. Matthew writes his Gospel to Jews and uses the concept of the Kingdom of God to convince the Jews that Jesus is their Messiah King, the Anointed One, the Christ, the Son of God and founder of the kingdom of God. The actions, which in the Hebrew culture spoke stronger than words, were to call the weak, sick and dispossessed to health and wholeness. The Kingdom of God is calling the sick and the sinners in the dark areas and in the synagogues to a relationship with the Messiah King. Love is the attraction to this Kingdom. The love is offered without condition. In the letter of John, the text advises that those who abide in Jesus obey His Commandment to love one another. Those who abide in Jesus are the ministers who can continue to bring about the Kingdom for the weak, sick, sinners and all of us. John advises that the spirits need to be tested. Many spirits of legalism, fundamentalism and religiosity abound. The test is love. Feel it?